Claimed
by obsidians
Summary: When Kuno ends up in the hospital after fighting with Ranma Ukyo takes him home and offers him comfort that changes their relationship for good. Hurt/comfort
I don't own Ranma or its characters and make no money from writing these stories.

Roll 'em...

Ukyo found herself being in a unique position of having a whole night off from the restaurant as there were mice in her kitchen that she was getting exterminated before reopening it. Being that it was a really warm day, she had opted to wear a skirt for the first time in a long time and thought about going over to the Tendo house to see if Ranma wanted to go for a walk in the park and get ice cream. Then she sighed as she saw how that would work, somehow Shampoo would find out about her "date" and show up to cause havoc while Akane would be trying to mallet Ranma to show how _little_ she cared what he did. So she opted just to spend the evening by herself with nothing better to do, as usual. Ukyo couldn't believe how she sick of the situation she was getting, here she was engaged to someone she couldn't spend time with or who even wanted to be with her!

Ukyo felt slightly weird about wearing the skirt and realized that the particular one that she had chosen was shorter than it used to be and slightly tighter; indicating that she had grown since last she wore it, but still it wasn't obscenely short and she liked how it looked on her. It felt nice to be so femininely dressed and enjoyed the slight attention she was getting from boys as she walked down the street. Normally, no one even looked at her twice.

She decided to stop by the hospital to get her prescription for eczema that her doctor had been kind enough to leave at the reception desk for her. She had just picked it up when she looked up because she recognized the voice that seemed to be arguing with a medical staff member.

"Unhand me I say; I wish to return to my abode" Kuno argued.

"Kid, until someone eighteen years old or older comes to get you; you aren't going anywhere" a large male nurse argued.

Ukyo turned and her jaw dropped to see that the Kendoist had a cast on his leg and on his arm. She'd had witnessed when he and Ranma had fought that morning and Kuno had been sent flying, but he never seemed to get hurt that badly. It was normally bruising or a sprained ankle or something like that. Ukyo felt sorry for Ranma; he was going to feel so bad when he found out about how badly he had injured Kuno. Then Ukyo frowned at this and realized that she had thought about Ranma first rather than feel badly for the one injured; somehow that didn't feel right.

"I'm not staying here" Kuno insisted.

"Get back in bed, not only do you have a compound fracture on your leg, but you have a greenstick on your arm. You shouldn't even be out of bed!" the nurse snapped.

Ukyo looked at Kuno and realized he didn't look good in the least as he balanced precariously on one crutch and his normally lightly tanned skin, was the colour of parchment paper.

"Did you _even_ try calling the number I gave you for the Tendo residence?" he demanded.

"Yes and I keep getting some drunk guy answering, who keeps saying you're not there and to try you at your place and his daughter's in school nor is your sister answering her phone" the nurse said. "Is there anyone else I can call?" he offered.

"No, I thought Akane Tendo was coming for me" Kuno said feeling troubled.

Ukyo decided that she couldn't leave Kuno there, "there you are honey" she said, going to his side and smiling up at him.

"Ukyo Kuonji?" he said questioningly.

"Of course, baby. I've come to take you home" she said squeezing his uninjured arm in a way that she thought looked affectionate, while he looked at her oddly.

"Did Akane Tendo send you?" he asked her.

"No dear one; your cousin couldn't make it" she hastily said.

"You know this man?" the nurse asked her.

"Of course, we've been going steady for ages. Haven't we, sweetheart?" she said to him.

"We..." he said and she sighed and kissed him on the lips to silence him and his eyes went wide in alarm at this.

"Look he's all worn out and I need to get him home. When can I check him out?" Ukyo asked.

"You don't look eighteen" the nurse pointed out.

"No, but I'm taking him back to my place and my parents will be home from work in a few hours. Come on, it's so hard to get _alone time_ when you live with your parents" she said giving him a dimpled smile.

"But you don't have any..." Kuno said with a frown and then blushed when she kissed him again, Ukyo herself could only wonder who could _really_ be that dense, when she was trying to do him a favour. All he had to do was play along and pretend to be her boyfriend.

"He's not going to be any good to you even if I release him into your care, not only is he fractured in two places but he's also hopped up on Demerol" the nurse said hesitatingly.

"What do you mean, I won't be any good to her?" Kuno asked, clearly baffled.

"He's seventeen!" Ukyo objected.

"He's also a sick man" he argued.

"And he will feel a lot better when _I_ put him to bed" Ukyo argued back.

"Okay, I shall release him into your care" he agreed.

"Great, anything I should know?" Ukyo asked.

"The common side effects for Demerol include: lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation, nausea, vomiting, sweating, loss of appetite, headache, weakness, dry mouth and itching. So feed him only if he's hungry, keep him warm and comfortable and encourage him to sleep as much as possible. He'll need to take pain medication every four hours. If you have sex with him, be _very_ gentle with him, you don't want to aggravate his injuries" he sternly lectured her.

"What do you mean about her having sex with me?" Kuno asked with a frown, blushing.

"Oh sweetie, you really must be stoned if you don't remember _that_. Come on baby; I'll get you home" she said.

"I'll call you a cab" the nurse offered.

"I can walk" Kuno insisted.

"No you can't" Ukyo said, easing him back into a chair. "Thank you" she called after the nurse.

"Why are you pretending to be my girlfriend?" Kuno demanded.

"So they will let you leave with me" Ukyo replied.

"Did Akane Tendo send you?" he asked her with hope in his voice, he was hurting so badly and really in need of her TLC (this author says; Kuno you're nuts to want that!).

"No" she replied and felt bad at the flash of pain in his eyes at this. "I was coming to the hospital for another reason, but I'll get you out of here" she assured him.

"How much is that going to cost me?" he bitterly asked her, he could feel tears in his eyes and blinked them away, hating how pain medication always made him feel emotional and refused to look at her as she stroked the back of his hand, pretending not to notice.

"I'm not Nabiki; it's not going to cost you anything" Ukyo assured him.

" _No one_ does anything for free" he stated.

"I'm doing this because I'm your friend and I care about you" she replied. "You would do the same for me" she stated.

"No I wouldn't" he replied.

"Why not?" Ukyo asked him with a frown.

"I certainly wouldn't get you discharged from the hospital by pretending to be your sexual partner. You're a sixteen year old female, I would find an adult I trust to come and get you, with them" he replied. "I would sue this hospital if they released my sister to someone if she were in a similar condition to myself."

"Oh that makes sense" she agreed. "Kuno what happened, how did you get so injured?" she asked him.

"I landed on hard pavement and got run over by a car" he replied.

"How you feel?" she asked him.

"Like shit" he replied.

"Well we'll get you home soon" she told him and noticed how he winced and thought he must have a headache too and wished there was something she could do to take his pain away. Injured males had always been her kryptonite.

"You actually intend to come to my place?" he asked her, not used to the idea of anyone being there besides Kodachi, Sasuke and himself...between the alligator and traps; his place was hardly guest friendly.

"Yes, you'll be more comfortable there. Especially when I tuck you into bed" she explained.

"Tuck me into bed?" he said in a startled tone of voice.

"It's just getting you into bed, it's not like I'm asking you to father my children" Ukyo said with a sigh.

"Well be careful, if you end up in the dungeon; Kodachi might just insist on that" Kuno mused and Ukyo turned pale at this idea.

Kuno found it extremely odd at how gentle Ukyo was with him as she helped settle him into the backseat of the taxicab and then told the driver where to take them. He didn't know what to make of the girl and questioned why she was being so nice to him. He wasn't used to people doing things for him out of kindness, yet he couldn't figure out anything to motivate her to want to come to his place and especially wanting to offer him comfort. It wasn't like they were close, she'd never been invited to his place in the past or shown any interest in him. At least with Nabiki, she took care of him because reciprocity was involved.

Ukyo leaned over to help Kuno out, placing his one arm over her shoulders and looping her other arm around his waist. "Take it slow" she said to him as he used his crutch on the other side.

"It would help if you were five inches taller. It's like being supported by a toy poodle" he complained and was surprised when she laughed.

"Before we go to your room. Are you hungry?" she asked him.

"Starving" he replied.

"I knew you would be" she replied. "Point me in the direction of your kitchen."

"How did you know that?" he asked her as she lowered him onto a couch automatically propped his leg up on an ottoman and without thinking, pulled the blanket from its back and draped it over him. It was a strange experience for him that so simple a gesture warmed his heart.

"You've been coming into my restaurant for over a year. You're always hungry. Now what can I get you?" she asked him.

"A sandwich is fine" he replied.

"Coming up" she said, giving his shoulder a slight squeeze.

Ukyo couldn't get over the size of Kuno's place. It was bloody huge! How was it possible that only three people lived in this place! But at the same time, she wondered how it was for him. It was easy to see that he and his sister didn't seem to socialize much nor did he really seem to have any close friends. He certainly had never invited her over to his place. She and Ranma's other fiancées had held events where the others; including the Kunos' had been invited and had attended said events. Yet with them having a huge place; they were practically antisocial.

"Turkey and swiss cheese on white, good for you?" she called to him.

"My favourite, with dijon mustard" he replied. She made his sandwich and filled up a glass of apple juice. He always seemed to drink that by the gallon full. "Okay, let's get you to bed" she said, noticing how he seemed to be fading.

"I'll go to bed when I'm ready" he said in a groggy sounding voice.

"Nice try" Ukyo said helping him to walk again, she didn't even think anything strange when she helped him remove his clothes until he wore only his boxer shorts.

"You shouldn't be in here when getting I'm undressing" he protested.

"I've seen you in your swim wear; what's the difference?" she asked him as she helped him into bed.

"Strip down to your bra and panties and we'll discuss the difference between those and your bikini" he said in a groggy sounding voice and she laughed.

"You're funny when you're stoned" she commented and found extra pillows to prop up his broken limbs before drawing the covers over him and impulsively hugged him, feeling a sudden wave of tenderness towards the injured boy. Kuno froze at the simple gesture and then tentatively hugged her back with his uninjured arm, enjoying the sensation. Ukyo's body felt strong, yet softly feminine in his arms and she smelled of some sort of light scented soap and her hair smelled of strawberry shampoo where it brushed against him. He was suddenly reminded of when his mother was alive, of how she would nurse him through his illnesses when he was much younger, she had believed that affection was the best medicine and loved to cuddle him...and he got a lump in his throat.

"Get some rest" Ukyo whispered to him.

"Are you leaving?" he asked her, taking her hand to prevent her from doing so.

"If you want me to" she said.

"I don't like being alone when I'm like this" he admitted and she got the impression he was embarrassed by this.

"Then I'll stay until your sister gets home" she said taking a seat beside him and reached out and stroked his hair back and was surprised when he sighed at this, so she kept it up until he went to sleep and settled the blankets higher over his shoulders and studied him and his room. He looked younger when sleeping and less self assured. The posters and pictures of Akane and Ranma gave her pause; to most people that would have just been proof that Kuno was a pervert. But to Ukyo; it just made her feel sorry for the boy that this is all he would ever possess of either of his supposed great loves. Both people didn't feel anything more for Kuno other than a friendship. After all teenaged boy put up pictures of themselves with their girlfriends; but he was absent in all of them and it seemed so lonely to her.

Feeling bored, she flicked on his TV and watched a video show on low volume while Kuno slept like the dead. She explored his place a bit, it was like a museum and went back to the kitchen for more apple juice as she knew he was going to be dry mouthed when he woke up.

Kuno woke up and studied the young girl in the light of the flickering TV as was the only light that was on and found himself feeling soothed by her presence, again an odd feeling for him. He was surprised she was still there, there was nothing compelling her to stay but that she had offered to, "What are you watching?" he groggily said and was kind of surprised when she helped him to sit up and held a cup of apple juice to his lips.

"You still feeling dizzy?" she asked him when he was done drinking and gently pushed it away.

"Yes" he said as sighed at the feeling of her hand rubbing his bare back and resisted the urge to arch into her touch like a cat. Ukyo was embarrassed at how much she was enjoying touching Kuno and guessed she was even more love starved than she thought, but he seemed to like it as well.

"You should go back to sleep" she suggested.

"I'm not sleepy for now" he said.

"Well The Princess Bride just came on TV" she suggested.

"You want me to watch a chick flick?" he asked her, of course he knew she was a female, but somehow the idea of her doing typical female stuff, would kind of like Ryoga admitted he wore lingerie to bed.

"It's a fun movie" she said.

"Okay I'll give it a try" he said. "Do you want to get comfortable?" he awkwardly said, patting the bed beside him.

"Oh I can get onto your bed with you? Aren't you afraid I'm going to compromise your virtue if I do?" she teased him.

"I wasn't asking you to bear my children" he said defensively. She flashed him a smile and sat as far away from him a possible.

"You can get closer if you want" he suggested.

"If you want to cuddle, just say so" she said, enjoying baiting him.

"Who said I want to cuddle you?" he said with a sneer.

"Hey, I was only teasing you. There's nothing wrong with wanting snuggles when you're in a bad way; it's normal" she replied.

"I'm not some kind of needy wuss" he growled.

"No you're someone who likes to be touched. I get really cuddly myself when I'm not well" she said.

"But that's different; you're a girl" Kuno said.

Her answer was to scoot over and hug him and he let out a contented sigh and blushed. "It's a hug; it's not doing either of us any harm" she said. "Now put your manly pride aside and cuddle with me" she said, realizing almost sadly that she couldn't remember the last time anyone offered her a hug. She was surprised when Kuno assertively pulled her against his side until her head lay pillowed on his chest. His fingers toyed with her long hair and, as if by mutual consent, their lips met and gentle kisses were exchanged so they alternated between watching the movie and lazily kissing until she got under the covers with him and their combined body heat lulled them both to sleep.

Kodachi got the message on her phone that her brother was in the hospital and hurried home, figuring he must be at home by then. "Brother-Dear, are you okay..?" she asked him as she snapped on the lights and blushed when she realized he wasn't alone in bed. "Ukyo Kuonji, what are you doing here?" she demanded and looked on suspiciously when Ukyo yawned and got out of Tatewaki's bed fully dressed. Okay she wore a fairly short skirt and her clothes looked sleep rumpled but, she didn't look like they had been making love.

"She brought me home for the hospital and elected to stay with me. We fell asleep watching a movie" Kuno explained.

"In your bed?" she cried.

"I got cold so he offered to let me come into bed with him" Ukyo said, not caring what the other girl thought. She knew they had done nothing wrong, he had needed comfort and she did too.

"What are you doing for dinner?" Kuno asked her, feeling weird about the idea of her leaving.

"Not sure, I was going to offer to make you spaghetti. Earlier, I noticed you have all the ingredients I need" she offered.

"Sounds good, I should get up for a while anyway" he said.

"Wait, first you have my rival to Ranma's affections in your bed and now she's making us dinner? Tatewaki- what the hell is going on?" Kodachi demanded and both ignored her.

"Great where's your robe?" she asked him.

"Hanging on the closet door" he explained and she helped him on with it and put his arm back into his sling, while Kodachi kept on demanding to know what she was doing there. They walked to the kitchen and she sat him down on a chair and pulled up another chair to elevate his leg with.

"So now what happens?" he asked her as she hummed while getting out the ingredients, enjoying his company and realized that there was no on there to interfere with them talking, no one trying to claim a date with him or mallet him for spending time with another girl...and welcomed the change. Well except for his sister fuming in the next room and threatening to dial the loony bin and have him committed.

"Well you could continue with your pursuit of the big eyed midget and Ranma's sister and I could pursue Ranma himself, until we're both old and gray. Or we can try something different?" she suggested.

"I can't believe you just called Akane that!" he cried with a smile in his voice. "You and I?" he asked her, realizing not that he wasn't so stoned, exactly how pretty she looked in her skirt. He'd once thought he liked her better than Akane and the Pigtailed Girl when she had taken to wearing her girl's uniform and now questioned if it really mattered what she wore.

"Well it seems to me that we both really like snuggling each other and who knows where that will lead to? Besides, it's going to be a while before those casts come off and you will need someone to help you around...and I don't trust Nabiki the Bitch to do that. Besides, I work much cheaper."

Kuno thought about it what she was offering him and knew it would be hard to give up his two loves but; what were a couple of cold photographs in his bed compared to a warm body? Someone who had selflessly taken him home in his time of need. Someone, who offered him the shelter of her body and made him feel safe.

He had always assumed he had to win love and prove himself to the objects of his affection and now learned it could be offered by someone who was willing to try. He didn't love Ukyo nor did she love him but, there was a seed that of affection that had been planted between them, that could blossom if nourished properly.

He watched her pad around in her bare feet and as she brought him a spoonful of spaghetti sauce to try and then he pulled her against him and soundly kissed her in response to her idea and felt as if his lonely heart had been claimed and her hand sought and took his, as if in vindication that hers had been too.

THE END


End file.
